Fight For Your Right To Pâté

With the warmer weather, I’ve been craving pâtés and terrines; a slice or two with a salad and crusty bread is as good as lunch can get (at least until the cucumbers and tomatoes arrive) and the archetypal combination of potted meat, mustard, and pickles can find expression in many forms along a spectrum from humble to elegant.

In this case, humble: a 5 lb. pork shoulder from Fleisher’s became two pâtés de campagne (though with some tweaking of the flavors toward Spain.) First, a cut into cubes, along with most of that glorious fat- I froze some for future use- and a run through the large die of the grinder.

Next up, seasoning with garlic, fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage and chive flowers) pimentón, 5-spice, wine, sherry, pepper, coriander, cumin, and preserved lemon, followed by a second pass through the large die. Into this heady mélange I beat a panade of two eggs, milk, and panko as well as a handful of whole green peppercorns. I packed the mixture into two loaf pans and let them sit overnight. The next morning, I fired up the water bath and vacuum-sealed both terrines; one went in the freezer for another time, and the other slid into the bath for a six-hour soak at 68˚ C.

Once out, I unsealed it, wrapped it tightly, and let it sit overnight in the fridge. The next day, with bread, salad, cornichons- not yet our own, but soon- and good mustard, I finally had the lunch I’d been craving for weeks. Delayed gratification is often the best kind.

I just hired a girl from Vietnam whose going to do some vietnamese classes. After the street food segment were going to do an authentic one. She's talking about a headcheese and pate Bahn Mi.I can't WAIT to find out what she's going to put in that sucker.I too have been craving pate and yours has sparked more cravings and yours looks great. Thanks for the water bath instructions, I haven't broken out mine lately.

wow…i've been wanting to do a terrine for a long time. love the title of this post. i totally would fight for my right (for) pâté! this is one of the best meals ever. throw in crusty bread and butter and some pickled onions and dijon and i'm in heaven.